Package



July 5, 1938. E, J, RUFF 2,122,588

PACKAGE Filed Jan. 22, 1937 H INVENTOR 5 I] EDWARD J. RUFF F diww W,

ATTORNEYS Patented July 5, 193a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

The invention relates to a vendable package for use in selling a stackof mints, or other confections, or similar merchandise associated withcigarettes, and which will provide a container or i skeleton form ofreceptacle for receiving a package of cigarettes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple andinexpensive form of merchandise package which may be used either aloneor in combination with a standard form of cigarette package to provide aself-supporting article of commerce which combination article can beconveniently carried aboutin the pocket or bag of the purchaser.

Another object is to provide a structure of vendable merchandisecontaining package which both alone and when united with a cigarette orlike package will provide a broad bottom support for maintaining eitherthe basic vendable pack- :0 age or such package with the cigarettepackage in upstanding position.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a merchandisecontaining paper box which in its relation to the usual semi-flexiblecigarette package will tend to reinforce the cigarette package againstaccidental collapsing action which might tend to injure the containedcigarettes.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in partobvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawing and in part willbe more fully set forth in the following particular description of oneform of the package embodying the invention, and the invention alsoconsists in certain new and novel features of construction andcombination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a view of a preferred embodiment of the invention with partsof one side broken away to show contained merchandise and with thecigarette package receiving bracket in its closed, collapsed position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with the bracket in its distendedposition ready to receive the 45 package of cigarettes and with the topof the box open; w

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the structure shown in Fig 2 witha package of cigarettes mounted in position in the bracket and with apackage of matches hung from a side or strap element of the bracket;

Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation of the showing in Fig. 3 looking atthe same from the right hand side;

55 Fig. 5 is a plan view of the paper blank from lar box l0 providedwith a hinged open top I i and a normally closed bottom l2, the latterproviding 1 a broad fiat supporting base. The box l0 contains a columnl3 of confections such as the mints used by smokers to purify theirbreath. Hingedly mounted on the box I0 is a paper bracket M whichincludes a bottom strip IS, an upstanding strip Hi from opposite uppersides of which extend a pair of arms l1 and coacting with the strip I6to form a strap horizontally extending for encircling the exposed .sidesof the cigarette package hereinafter described. The free ends of thearms I! and I8 are intruded in slits l9 and formed on opposite sides ofthe box and are provided with hook ends 2| which prevent accidentalseparation of the arms l1 and N from the box. The parts of the bracketare so proportioned that when in the distended position shown in Fig. 2there may be fitted therein a package 22 of cigarettes, or otherprepackaged merchandise, and the parts are so arranged that one side 23of the cigarette package abuts and in turn is reinforced and protectedby the adjacent side 24 of the box. The package 22 is provided with abottom side 25 which rests on the bottom strap l5 to weight the same sothat the bottom of the cigarette package is in effect a continuation ofthe base l2 of the box I0.

While it is obvious that the structure hereinbeforedescribed may bevariously formed, it is herein suggested that it be formed from a paperblank such as shown in Fig. 5. This blank includes a rectangular paperbody portion 28 scored along the parallel lines 21 to form-fiverectangular sections 28-32 inclusive. The section 28 is provided withtwo spaced apart aligned slots 33- 34 and the section 32 is providedwith a pair of outstanding locking fingers 35 and 36 adapted to engagerespectively in the slots 33 and 34 to interlock the two parts 28 and 32forming the side 24 of the box as shown in Fig. 2. Each of the sections29 and 3|. is provided with extensions from relatively opposite edges ofthe body portion 26 suitably scored to form the top H and bottom it. Theupper edges of the sections 30 and 32 are provided respectively withshort side flaps 31 and 38 for closing the joint between the closure Hand the two opposite sides of the -box Ill. The sections 29 and 3| arealso provided with the inclinedslots l9 and 20 and in each case an archshaped secondary slot 20 intersects the in clined slots.

The midsection 29 is provided with a T-shaped extension, the stemportion of which forms the bottom strip l5 and the outer strip I6 hingedto the box section 30 along the score line 39. The stem formingextension is also bendable about the score line 40 as a hinge in foldingthe strip l5 upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 2 into the uprightposition shown in Fig. 1. The arms l! and I8 forming the head of theT-shaped extension are bent about the score lines 4| and 42 into theright angled form shown in Fig. 2.

The parts are so proportioned that when the bracket is folded into itscollapsed position as shown in Fig. 1, the arms H and lb move inwardlyand downwardly until the hooked ends are within the outline of the boxas shown in Fig. 1.

It is suggested "in the showings in Figs. 3 and 4 that a package 43 ofmatches may be hung from one of the straps such as the arm ll so thatthe matches can be conveniently associated with the package ofcigarettes and it is suggested that the arm I! be slotted as indicatedat 44 to pass the stack of matches therethrough.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 6 the T-shapedextension corresponding .to bracket M of Fig. 5 is formed initiallyseparate from the block which forms the box. case the section 30terminates along the score line 39. The separate form of bracket 45 isof the same form shown for the bracket Hi of Fig. 5 except that thesection dB is provided with two laterally extending ears 4? and 48scored along the lines 49 and 50 to fold upwardly and fit against thelower portions of the inner faces of the opposite sections 29 and 3! ofthe completed box with the section 46 overlapping the bottom 92. It isalso within the scope of this disclosure to provide extensions from thepanels 28 and 29. to form bottom closure flaps corresponding to the topflaps 37 and 38.

In operation, it will be understood that the package of mints or similarconfection shown in Fig. 1 is sold either with or without thheassociated package of cigarettes. The paper bracket is swung fromthecollapsed position shown in Fig. 1 into distended position shown in Fig.2 and the package of cigarettes is inserted into the open top bracketthus formed. When in this position the cigarettes and mints may be withdrawn conventionally each from its associated containerand when thepackages are emptied it may be thrown away, or refilled.

It is seen from the disclosure in Fig. 3 that the stack of confectionsacts as a more or less rugged column to weight the box ill in itsupright position thus maintaining the package of cigarettes in similarposition and in this way avoiding the usual toppling over of the packageof cigarettes when not supported. The rectangular box Ill is somewhatrigid and self-reinforcing and thus tends to protect the adjacent edgeof the package of cigarettes. The material of the paper bracket alsocontributes, at least to some extent, in preventing crushing action onthe contained cigarettes.

While there have been shown, described and In this amazes pointed out inthe annexed claims, certain novel features of the invention, it will beunderstood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the formand details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be madeby those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

I claim:

1. An upstanding vendable unit comprising two packages each constitutinga complete saleable package of its contained merchandise, one forming acompletely closed package of confections providing a loaded pillar forsupporting the unit in upstanding position, and the other a package ofcigarettes not necessarily provided with its own supportingv base, andsaid packages arranged side by side in abutting relation, and a paperbracket hinged'to the confection-containing package and including stripsinterconnected and disposed to underlap completely the bottom and to lappartially the otherwise exposed upstanding sides of the cigarettepackage to hold the same in engagement with the confection package. I

2. A paper box of rectangular form adapted to contain a'stack ofvendable articles and thus weighted to resist it from turning overaccidentally and one side providing a flat abutting face to contact withanother package, and a paper bracket hingedly connected to the box andhaving two positions, in one of said positions the bracket beingcollapsed with the elements of the bracket each lying flat for theirentire length against fiat sides of the box and in the other positionextending in distended position from the box and providing an open topskeleton receptacle for receiving the other package.

3. A vendable package comprising a paper box of rectangular form adaptedto contain a column of confections and having a broad fiat supportingbase adapted to be weighted by the stack of confections in the box andthus maintained in upright position, and a paper bracket hinged to thepaper box and having two positions, one a collapsed position foldedclose to the box and the other a distended position projecting beyondthe box to one side thereof, and said bracket proportioned for locatinga cigarette package in position with a narrow side thereof abutting saidside of the paper box and with its bottom forming a base in prolongationlengthwise of the base of the box and coacting therewith to provide awide base for both the box and cigarette package.

4. A' self-supporting package comprising a paper box adapted to containmerchandise and provided with an integral section forming a fiatsupporting base, a cigarette package abutting one side of the box andhaving its bottom side disposed substantially in the plane of the baseof the box and a paper strap carried by the box underlapping saidsection to provide a double bottom to the box and engaging the cigarettesea package to hold the same in its engagement with the box.

5. The combination of a rectangular merchandise containing box and abracket hinged to the box, said bracket including a bottom stripconstituting an extension from the bottom of the box and foldableupwardly out of the plane of said bottom to engage an upstanding side ofthe box, and a pair of parallel side arms hinged to opposing sides ofthe box for swinging movement each in the plane of the arm and anupstanding strip connecting the outer ends of the bottom strip and thetwo side arms, said bottom and outstanding strip and the two side armsforming an open top skeleton container for receiving a package ofcigarettes.

6. The combination of a paper box of rectangular form for containing astack of merchandise and provided with a paper bracket integraltherewith, said bracket including a plurality of connected flatelements, and having a collapsed compact position with the flat elementseach folded flat in side-abutting relation against an adjacent side ofthe box and one of the elements overlapping the top of the box andhaving a distended position providing an open top skeleton container foranother article of merchandise.

'7. A cardboard blank comprising a substantially rectangular bodyportion provided with score lines forming four parallel side formingsections, means for interlocking the two outside sections, each of thetwo next adjacent sections 'provided with inclined slots and eachprovided with an end forming tab, the midsection provided with aT-shaped extension with the stem portion of the T forming a prolongationof the midsection and the arms of the T provided at their free ends withhooks for engaging in the inclined slots.

8. A cardboard blank comprising a body portion adapted to be folded toform a rectangular box and provided with, hook receiving slots and aT-shaped extension from one edge of the body portion and with the stemportion of the T scored to form in order the bottom of the box, thebottom and far side of an extension from the box, and the head of the Tforming two sides of the extension, the ends of the head provided withlateral extensions forming hooks for hingedly engaging in said slots.

9. A package comprising a rectangular paper box adapted to containmerchandise and provided with a flat supporting base, a bracket formedseparate from the box andincluding a long T-shaped strip provided at thefree end of the stem of the T with a section for engaging the bottom ofthe box and said section provided with lateral extensions from oppositeedges thereof to form a pair of ears for engaging opposite sides of thebox and the arms of the T having their free ends demountably pivoted toopposite sides of the box.

10. In a package for merchandise, the combination of a receptaclecomplete for packing merchandise and having a base suflicient to supportthe package in upstanding position and a bracket carried thereby andhaving two positions, in one position collapsed into engagement with andagainst at least two sides of the receptacle and in the other positiondistended rigidly from the receptacle and disposed to form a holdingmeans for a separable article.

11. In a package for merchandise, the combination of a normally closedreceptacle provided with a supporting bottom and having a closure hingedthereto forming a flat top and permitting access to the interior of thereceptacle through said open top, and a bracket pivotally connected tothe receptacle and including two arms having their ends intruded intoslots in opposite sides of the receptacle and having two positions, onecollapsed flatwise against the receptacle and the other distendedtherefrom and providing an open top container for another article ofmerchandise.

EDWARD J. RUFF.

